Dib, the Tallest
by Yue Fetelia
Summary: Zim's house has rejected him. Dib is the only one he can turn to in his time of need. What will happen on a dark and stormy night between two once upon a time enemies?
1. Dib, the Tallest

Dib, the Tallest

By: Ket & Kyone

A/N: I am watching Invader Zim as I write this. Yes. I like Invader Zim, and I've had an idea for a while. Plus I found some good pics at deviantart. P.S. This is set a few years after the still has the weird hair though, and Zim is based on a Zim drawn by sparou on deviantart.

How long had it been since I first bothered the green-skinned boy? One month? Two? Or had it been years? The last time I checked, the boy hadn't been that tall. The first time I tried to catch the "alien", the other boy was small enough to fit into the smallest section of his seat in his underground lab.

Now, though…now, his legs were so long that he had to stretch fully over the seat, his back curving gently as he lay there, one leg swinging over the side of it. He had to fix it, since he hadn't planned to stay at Earth for so many years. He had planned to be back with the rest of the Irken Empire before he reached maturity. None of the invaders were allowed to grow taller than the Almighty Tallest.

The Tallest were the leaders of the Empire, hitting about six feet in height. On average, the Invaders were about two feet in height. When they hit maturity of sixteen years, they hit a tremendous growth spurt and shot up several feet. It would differ depending on the Invader. Zim looked to be about five nine now. A smile lit the alien's face as he typed in a few keys on the "keyboard" of his computer.

"Dib, dad says it's time for dinner. Come and eat." My sister's voice broke my concentration. I sighed, getting up from the wheeled office chair I had bought with my own money. I had something of a job now. Since I was seventeen, it was expected of me.

Dad was hardly around anyways, and Gaz usually was at someone's house. This was one of those rare "all the family" meals. I followed the fifteen-year-old downstairs, sighing again when I saw the floating screen. Looks like dad was working late again.

"So…what's tonight's meal?" I dare not say my sister's name. She and I had gotten into a fight a month or so ago, and it was a bad one. We actually came close hitting one another. I knew that she held no interest for males of any sort (especially me) and she knew I held little interest in females.

"Some new thing from dad's work. Its called 'Food in a tube' and its different kinds of meals in tubes." She picked one up and read the label. "What do you want? We have spaghetti and meatballs, meat loaf, ham and cheese sandwich, and…" She read the last label. "Nachos. Pick your poison."

She picked up the tube of ham and cheese sandwich, started "eating" it, and walked out. That left me with meatloaf, spaghetti or nachos. Shrugging, I picked up the nachos tube and started to "eat". It was pretty good, for a tube meal. I'd give it that.

"How is your meal?" The screen questioned, getting rather close. I typed a few keys on the keyboard and walked out. I knew my sis was in her room, packing her bag. I wondered who she was staying with tonight, but I didn't ask.

I headed back to my room and opened the window of the bot spying on Zim. Heh. Looked like he was eating his evening meal as well. Part of my mind wondered what he was eating; another part wondered where the little robot was; a third part wondered if his security system had been updated at all.

"Computer, upload the live feed from camera six." His voice had changed too. Instead of being nasal and annoying, it was now…kinda hot. I shook my head. I didn't need to think such things as that about the enemy. His fingers were longer too. He'd be great at guitar…

"Going to Zeeta's. Back in…who cares." Gaz told me, standing in my doorway.

"See ya. Try not to hurt anyone this time." I waved a hand, not taking my eyes off the screen.

"Hmph…if your gonna kidnap and fuck him, then hurry up and do it." I turned bright red and turned to her.

"What makes you think I'm gonna do that?!" I stuttered, quickly closing the window.

"The fact that you've been watching him obsessively since you were ten. That's seven years, in case you forgot how to do math." She smirked. "I've seen your grades. So hurry up and bag him if your gonna. His disguises are getting better. Someone else may get him first, if you're too slow." She smirked that evil smirk again and left. She got me thinking. She was right. His disguises _were_ getting better. Now he had more than just lenses and hair. Now, he had full outfits and shoes and…piercings.

I hit a few keys on the keyboard again and Zim's picture popped up. The pic started to rotate, and I hit another key for it to pause. I had a perfect full front view of the green skinned Irken, and I smiled, hitting another key. The screen went out of focus, then came back into focus. Now the boy on the screen wore only a towel at his waist, the bottom edges reaching about halfway on his thighs.

The flesh remained green along his entire body, though it lightened where his clothes were. The outfits he wore now were more gothic, most of them black and baggy. One piercing went through the right side of his bottom lip, another in his tongue. One pierced his left nipple, a small barbell in his belly button. I knew that anyone could remove them, since I had seen the boy do it several times in the locker room before taking a shower. The two of us were more alike than we knew.

Both of us were outcasts, talking to three or less people. Both of us disliked contact with others. Both of us had something, robotic, organic, or inanimate, that we spoke to. Both of us waited until everyone else had left to take a shower after P.E. Both of us disliked any physical sport, but loved competition.

"Master, there is someone at the door." My computer bleeped, alerting me to the visitor. I sighed as I stood, popping my back before I went to the front door. I peered through the peephole to see Zim standing on my front porch. Why the hell was he here? I opened the door.

"Zim? Why are you here?" I opened the door wide and showed him in. His current outfit was smoldering and did I smell burning hair? I saw smoke rising off of him and I grew slightly worried.

"My computer didn't recognize me and set off a self destruct in GIR. I was trying to get in and the parent bots wouldn't let me in. They kept saying I was an intruder and were trying to throw me out. GIR was busy hugging on me and he went ka-blooey." He gestured with his hands as he sat at my dining room table. I shook my head as I offered him a soda. He took it and popped the top.

"That sucks man. Are you okay? I don't want my enemy to be blown up by someone other than me." I drank some of my own soda and heard him sigh.

"I'm fine. I simply am wondering when my lab will be done repairing itself." He drank some of his own soda. For lack of anything better to do, I set down my soda and dug in the cabinets to find something to munch on. The food in a tube thing kept me full for a while, but I had a pretty fast metabolism.

"Want anything? I think I have some pretzels stashed in here somewhere…" I dug a little deeper and missed his answer. I emerged a moment later, holding a bag of mini-twist pretzels in my left hand. "Aha! I found them!" I smiled a little as I tore them open, one hand slipping in to grab a handful of the salty snacks.

"What do those taste like?" The alien questioned, staring suspiciously at the bag. I smiled as I tossed a couple to him. He caught them in the air and sniffed them.

"Try them and you'll see." I smiled a little and ate another one. The alien popped it into his mouth and slowly chewed. After a moment, he swallowed. "Well? Is it good?" His head slowly tipped up, then down in a nod.

"Better than I was expecting." He replied, holding his hand out for more. I smiled and shook the bag over his hand, letting a few pretzels fall out. He popped a couple into his mouth and ate them. "They are...delicious." He muttered before eating more.

"Told you." I muttered before shaking a few into my mouth before chewing them up.

"I was expecting them to make my mouth dissolve or something like that." He ate a couple. I shook my head, grinning.

"Nope. So...why didn't your computer recognize you?" I asked, seeing steam rising from his hair.

"I'm guessing it was the Tallest. If an Irken soldier or scout has not returned to the Armada before maturity, the Tallest hack the computers and let the computer do as it's programmed with the whole self destruct thing. I'm still wondering how in the hells GIR had that in him. I could've sworn it only worked with SIR's. I figured GIR was too far outdated." He spoke half to himself as he munched on a few more pretzels.

I ignored him as I dug in the fridge for another soda. Why was my throat so dry? I reached in and snagged two, offering one to him. He shook his head, holding up the first can I gave him. I shrugged again, popping the tab and taking a drink.

"Would you please help me reset the computer?" The boy asked me, making me choke a little on my drink. I wiped my chin before staring at him.

"You want me to _what_?" He glanced up at me, looking almost surprised at the soda still dripping down my chin.

"I am asking your help to reset my computer. It takes two people, and I have not finished my cloning device yet. Besides, clones need to be programmed and that will take far too long." He gestured with his hand like he always did, and I thought it over. A quote from long ago popped into my head. 'To defeat my enemy, I must first study my enemy, then I must become my enemy, then I must move in with the enemy, and wear my enemy's clothes then…' I had not finished the line for my sister had interrupted me.

"Alright. How long does it take to fix?" I asked, leaning casually against the kitchen counter.

"Four to six months." He replied, his tone normal, indifferent even. He ignored me as I spewed soda all over the kitchen floor, again. "But that's if the Irken has to completely reset and reprogram. I simply need to reboot and reprogram a few things. If we're lucky, it'll only take…two months." He sipped some more soda as I had the same dumbfounded look on my face. "Of course, that's if two Irkens did it properly. With our intellects, it should take four to six weeks."

"Alright. Will I be staying at your house during this time?" I was actually getting used to his surprises. The green, or shall I say white, skinned boy nodded his head.

"It shall be easier on the both of us. Do you mind?" I shook my head.

"That's why I asked." I told him, munching on a few more pretzels. He shrugged, drinking more soda.

"So when shall I prepare for you to stay?" He asked. I swallowed the soda in my mouth and shrugged.

"When do you want me over?" I asked back. He fell silent for a moment again and I remembered back in my childhood. I kept trying to prove that he had been an alien, but that was only to try and get his attention. The scene with me and my alien sleeve cuffs pushed forward and I sighed, shaking my head. I had changed so much since then...the difference was funny.

"What is so funny?" The boy asked, looking up at me. His eyes held suspicion, but I only found that even funnier.

"Memories." I told him, wiping an eye. I smiled at his confused look. "When I first met you. Kept trying to prove you were an alien. Remember the sleeve cuffs?" When he smiled softly, I knew he did.

"The Tallest tell me that you were doing that as some form of mating ritual." Soda spewed all over the tiled floor (yet again) as I gave him a look that said quite plainly: What?!

"Why did they say that?" I asked, heading to the sink to get a wet rag to clean up the spilled soda.

"They did not know much about the humans back then. Thanks to you we have several files filled with information." He shrugged his shoulders again and sipped some soda.

"I was glad to be of help..." I mumbled, slightly angered at the fact that I knew nothing of the files.

"I wished to tell you of them, but the Tallest told me to keep quiet. They said that if you found out about it, you'd stop providing us with information. We really needed something on Earth-a-noids." I smiled some, just a little, as he used his old word for earthlings.

"Next time you can tell me. I don't like not knowing about things." I drained the can and crunched it up before tossing it into the recycling bin. I walked out and after a moment, I heard footsteps. For some reason, I smiled.

"I was meaning to ask you...Might I stay the night here?" His voice was soft, as if he was afraid to ask me. I glanced back at him and saw that he kept his head down.

"Did your entire house blow up?" I asked him, pausing in the doorway to my room.

"Amazingly, no. But the rooms that survived...I am unable to sleep in." He kept his head bowed. A picture flashed into my head. Animals in the wild. Beta males would bow to the alpha, showing that they submitted to the alpha's will.

"Fine. I'll get a room set up for you." I told him, pressing my palm flat to the wall. A light flashed and a robot came zooming towards us.

"Yes, my master?" The voice was slightly robotic, but I chose to leave it that way. I had other choices, but hey, I'm lazy.

"Prepare the guest room. We have company staying over this evening." The bot bowed in midair. Dad never said I couldn't mimic his floating screen technology…

"Yes master. Right away." The robot zoomed down the hall and around a corner.

"Give him five minutes and he'll have your room ready." I told Zim. "He's one of my more advanced bots. Better reception of certain things." I tried to gesture with my hands, but gave up. "Is GIR gonna stay here as well?" I questioned. He shook his head.

"He blew up, remember?" Zim shook his head and muttered something under his breath. I turned a little red. My memory was usually a lot better. I heard quiet rumbling outside as the robot came zooming back to us.

"The room is prepared, master." He bowed again and I heard more rumbling.

"Is there a storm predicted tonight?" I asked the bot. He didn't answer for a minute, probably checking the weather report via wireless net.

"Sir, there is a prediction of a large thunderstorm, possibility of hail, two inches of rain, and heavy winds." He informed me. I nodded my head and waved him away. The bot bowed once more and zoomed into the basement to charge.

"You don't mind storms, do you?" I asked him. I had no problem with them, but I didn't know about him. When he bowed his head a little and started to rub at one arm, I knew his answer.

"I...had a bad experience with one at a young age..." He told me, his teeth tugging at his bottom lip. "I'm okay as long as I am not really close to a window."

"We're gonna have to move the bed then." I told him, walking down the hallway that the bot had left. He glanced around before catching up to me. "Hope you don't mind it." I commented, trying to get him to speak again. He shook his head, keeping his mouth shut. "Are you okay?" I asked, stopping a few feet from the door.

"I'm fine..." He mumbled, pushing past me to enter the room. He stood on one end of the full size bed and I walked slowly to the other. His hands curled under and I head the quiet, barely there rumble of lightning. I glanced out the window as we lifted the bed.

"Where do you want it?" I asked him, still watching for a flash of lightning to arc down. He didn't speak but looked to the opposite wall. I smiled gently, and we took slow, careful steps to move the bed. Once it was situated where he wanted it, thunder rumbled even closer. He glanced fearfully out the window as lightning arced down many miles away. Another rumble of thunder had him walking closer to me.

"It can't harm me…it can't harm me. I'm inside and it's out." He muttered to himself. I smiled a little and stayed still. He ducked behind me and his arm latched onto mine. "It cannot hurt me. I'm in, it's out." _When had he gotten nails? _I wondered as said body part dug into my arm.

"Dude, you okay?" I asked. His nails dug in deeper and he whimpered as lightning flashed closer. "Zim. It's fine. You can sleep in my room if you're that afraid." He didn't seem to hear me. I laid my hand lightly on his shoulder. "Zim." I spoke in a stern voice. He swung around, his fists raised, and caught me in the jaw. I fell to the ground and held my jaw. "Shit, Zim, calm down." I flexed my jaw, making sure it wasn't broken. He looked down at me, finally coming to his senses.

"I'm so sorry!" He sat down next to me, his hand moving mine and running over my jaw. "I didn't break it this time, at least." He spoke more to himself than to me. His hand was very soft...

"You okay? You hit me pretty hard." I glanced down at his hand.

"I'll be fine. We Irkens have a denser muscle and bone mass then you Earthlings." He flexed his hand and looked at it himself. "No harm done. Are you sure you're okay though?" He gestured to my cheek, where a bruise was forming. I waved him away.

"I'll be alright." I stood up and led him out of the room. "Since you freaked out that bad, you can sleep on the floor in my room. Sound a little better?" I had no idea what I was saying. _'You can always ask him to share the bed. Sounds _SO _much better then, doesn't it?' _I shook away the voice in my head and got some pillows and blankets from my closet and spread them out on the floor. "The carpet is pretty thick, so it should be well padded. Let me know if you need anything." He nodded, then sat down and rearranged the bedding closer to my bed.

"Good night, tall one." Zim spoke, curling under his covers.

"Good night, Zim." I climbed into my own bed and crawled under the covers as well. I leaned up to shut off the light. "See you tomorrow."


	2. Zim, Even Taller

Dib, the Tallest

"Good morning, Dib human." Zim's voice woke me. I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head. "The sooner you get up, the sooner we can start on my base." He tugged the blankets off of me. I grumbled and pulled the pillow tighter over my head. He yanked that off too and I stared up at a blurry, green-skinned boy holding my pillow. He held out my glasses. "Here."

"Thanks." I mumbled. I put them on and smiled a little when the world came into focus. "Can we have breakfast first? Or at least some coffee?" I yawned widely, stretching my arms high over my head.

"Coffee sounds fine." He replied. "Do you wish to have it here or go somewhere and get it?" He asked. '_And by that he means do you wanna drink it here and then sleep with him or do you wanna go on a date first?' _I shook away the voice in my head once more and thought about it as I stood and walked to my dresser.

"How about Niyall's on Third? I hear they have some pretty good coffee." I pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt. "Or there's the more generic shop on Bridge street." I walked into the bathroom to change, but kept the door open to continue the conversation. I pulled off my undershirt and pulled on the tee, then pulled my pants on over my boxers.

"Niyall's is fine. I'm lucky I have a disguise with me." I heard him walking closer as I rubbed on some deodorant and checked my hair.

"All yours. Take your time." I walked out and let him in, watching as he shut the door. The simple fact that he spoke of his disguises in front of me was a huge leap forward from how we used to be. A few minutes later he emerged, piercings and all. "Ready to go?" I asked. He nodded.

"Niyall's on Third?" He confirmed. I nodded and let him lead the way out of the house. I smiled and locked the door behind us, then pocketed the key and started walking. Niyall's was about four blocks away, and easily within walking distance. We walked side by side, taking our time. We didn't need to talk; silence was enough for us. We walked into the small coffee shop and waited in line.

"So how long will it take to fix your computer?" I asked, shuffling ahead as people received their drinks. He glanced up at me.

"The whole lab or just my computer?" He asked back. Two more people left. We were second in line after a man in a business suit.

"Just the computer." I replied. The man in the suit left. We quickly placed our orders: a double chocolate latte for me, an Earl Greyer tea, black and strong, for him. We waited patiently for our order, the took our drinks and headed outside.

"Umm...if we work without a pause, about four hours. It's just cosmetic damage; all the internal parts are still in working order." He shrugged, keeping both his hands wrapped around his teacup. A shrill feminine shriek alerted me to a girl nearby. A moment later, a flash of light made me see spots. That same shriek again and the girl ran off.

"Who the hell was that?" I asked, rubbing the vision back into my eyes. Zim blinked, closing one eye to focus and make sure he could see too.

"I think it was that crazy chick from school. Her name's Stacy or Stephanie or something." He rubbed his eyes once and blinked again.

"Samantha? The one who dyed her brown hair black and wears it like a scene girl? Wears emo goth clothes but is about as goth as a prep?" I asked. Zim nodded. My vision returned, and I took a sip of my coffee.

"How old is she? Fourteen, fifteen?" He wrapped his hands back around his cup of tea.

"She's sixteen, actually, and taking advanced classes." I reclined in my seat, putting my ankle over my other knee and laying one arm over the back of the chair. Zim was my opposite, hunching over in his chair as far as he could, trying to curl his entire body into his teacup. He quite obviously had issues with being around people. "So, how do you want to start on the house?" He glanced up at me. "The house. It blew up, remember? So where do we want to start first?" He shrugged, staring into his teacup once more.

"The computer. It's got everything important I need on it. Once we fix it, I can run a program and fix the house." He kept his voice low.

"Do you want to get these to go?" I asked, gesturing to our drinks. He glanced up long enough to see what I was pointing to before he nodded. I unfolded my long legs and stood, taking my drink into my hand. Zim stood as well and followed me back inside the store. We got our drinks to go and walked back out. "Your house to work or back to mine?" He shrugged. "To yours then." There was no telling if Gaz was going to be home or not, and I wanted to avoid any chance at a confrontation.

"It's a couple miles away." He pointed out. I shrugged.

"Don't you remember that I used to be there pretty much every day? It's no problem for me." He shrugged.

"Okay. Lead the way." He sipped his tea, falling quiet once more. I smiled without him seeing and took a drink of my quickly chilling latte. Silence reigned supreme once more, neither of us wanting to say much in the cool fall air. Leaves crunched under our feet as we walked along, passing the house with the "rabid" dog. I chuckled, causing Zim to glance over and smile a little as well. "Alien handcuffs. One way to find out if they work or not." He mumbled, then laughed softly. I chuckled as well, and we continued on our way. About twenty minutes later, we came upon a crater in the Earth where Zim's base and house used to be.

"Damn." Was all I could think to say. Some rubble was still scattered in the street, and Zim leaned over to pick some up as we walked closer to the "house." I helped him out a little, then set the scrap in a pile near the only picket left standing that used to be his fence. "How are we gonna do this?" I asked as he put more metal into the small pile.

"I know how to fix the computer, but I'll need to repair it first. It didn't _completely _explode, but it did suffer quite a bit of damage, both internal and external." He leaned over and picked up what looked like a motherboard. "See?" He tucked it into his jacket pocket and kicked a clod of dirt into the hole.

"Want me to work on the house? If I get a basic shelter set up, we can sleep here, wake up, and keep working on it. No need to travel back and forth every day." He shrugged, still staring at the hole. I stepped closer. "We can fix it, Zim. Promise. It'll take only a couple days to get the house fixed up and probably a few hours for you to fix the computer." He shrugged again, wrapping his arms around himself. My subconscious told me to hug him, but I shook that feeling away.

"Okay...Let me see if I can get to my base, or if it's still viewing me as in intruder."


	3. Gir, the Smallest

Gir, the Smallest

It was three in the afternoon. The sun was high over our heads. Zim showed no signs of wanting to take a break. I had stopped asking about an hour previous. He was hell bent on fixing his computer, and who was I to stop him? I leaned over to pick up another small scrap of metal, and something glinted nearby. Curious, I walked over and picked it up.

"Hey Zim, I found something you might want to see." I turned it over in my hand and walked over to him. He stood up, wiping sweat from his brow, and picked it up.

"It's an eye lens. It was Gir's." His voice was soft as he tucked it into his pocket for safe keeping. I watched him for a moment more before I went back to picking up more metal and computer looking parts. I heard something in the bushes rustle and stood up, looking around. The only surviving bush sat still. I stood still for a moment, making sure there was nothing there. Shrugging, I turned back around and continued my task. There was a few pieces left, and Zim had ordered me to get everything that resembled a piece of metal or computer part. Then we'd be able to "rebuild" the house.

"I'm finished." Zim called. I picked up the last scrap of metal and walked over to him.

"Me too. You said these go into the base, right?" He nodded, walking to the hole. He dropped his load into a pile next to the hole, then hopped down.

"One piece at a time please. I have to make sure nothing is damaged more than it already is." I nodded in understanding and squatted down, then reached my arm in with the first piece. It would make the process take about three times as long, but it guaranteed none of the pieces would be damaged. A few moments later, I heard a very familiar girly squeal and glanced up in time to be blinded again by a camera flash.

"Photographer-in-training away!" Someone called, then footsteps ran off. I rubbed my eyes, trying to rid myself of spots in my vision.

"You alright?" Zim called up. I nodded, then handed down the next part.

"Sam was taking pictures again." He nodded in understanding and took the next part from me.

"We'll need to keep an eye out for her. She might get pictures of my base and then I'll be up a tree." I snickered; he still didn't know Earth lingo.

"Don't you mean up a creek?" I asked, handing him the last part. He shrugged.

"Tree, creek, both of those are found in nature." He replied. I smiled as I stood and stretched.

"Need a hand, or can I fix the house now?" I called down. He started to move the pieces from the hole into the base itself.

"Feel free to once I'm inside." He tossed in the last piece, then hopped in himself. He pulled the lid down and I put the stylus back into the tube and let it turn into a flat object before I tossed it on top of the base. Within a few seconds, it went to work building the new house.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"Alright, so then I double-click the little Irken icon?" Zim nodded and I clicked it. "Now what?"

"Now you get out of my seat and let me take over." He nudged me out of the way and sat down, his long fingers flying over the Irken keyboard. My eyebrows raised in awe. A few seconds later, he was done. "Now we let the computer take over. I'll be working on a side project while it reboots." He stood from his seat and headed to a door I hadn't seen before. He typed in a code (miraculously it worked) and headed into a smaller side room. He hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the knob as a joke, and shut the door.

"Wonder what he's up to..." I muttered to myself, then shrugged and sat back at the computer.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"Alright, so you're sure it's fixed?" I asked. Zim nodded.

"One hundred percent. Give it a try." He gestured to the room around us.

"Computer, find me the file on the Irken Armada." The loading screen appeared for a moment, then disappeared to show pictures of guinea pigs. "Computer, find me the file on the Irken Armada." I repeated. The computer searched it's files again and pulled up a folder. "'Dib shower scenes'?" I read. Zim quickly turned off the screen, his face a scarlet red.

"Th-that's nothing of importance!" He stammered, trying and failing to smile properly.

"I think your computer is fried." I replied, dropping the subject.

"I may have crossed a couple of wires..." He rubbed the back of his head and switched the screen back on, already pressing keys.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"Computer, open the file on the Irken Armada." The computer searched for a moment, then pulled up a file folder labeled "Irken Armada". "Computer, erase the file on hamsters." The computer brought up the loading screen for a moment, then popped up a message box. "'Unable to delete'? Computer, delete the file on hamsters." The same message appeared again. "Zim, your computer is still fried." I called. The boy came out of the side room and walked over, prodding me out of the seat and sitting down, typing quickly.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"Computer, open the file on the Irken Armada." The screen loaded for a moment, then the file opened. "Computer, delete the file on guinea pigs." A message box popped up, asking if I was sure. "Delete." It then did. "Computer, new file. Title: Test." A small hourglass type figure popped up, then a new folder appeared labeled "Test". "Hey Zim, it works!" I called. The alien didn't reply, and I vaguely wondered what he had been working on for the last few days in that little room.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"Alright class, your homework for today is to read chapters five through seven and answer all problems therein." The teacher then let us go for the day. I gathered my books and stuffed them into my bag, then headed for Zim's seat. A camera flash didn't even make me pause as Samantha took another picture, and I couldn't blame her. Zim had convinced me to pierce an eyebrow and it was causing a little bit of chatter in the halls. I reached his desk and leaned against it, another flash marking that Sam was on her way out the door.

"I am _so_ gonna get that job at the school paper!" She squealed.

"Hey Sam, is that a new tie?" Zim distracted her.

"What? Oh, yeah." She angled up the bowtie and looked at it. "Do you like it?" I smiled.

"It's a close up of Vincent Valentine's eyes. Who wouldn't?" She giggled and smiled.

"Thanks Dib. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" She ran out the door.

"And by 'tomorrow' you mean later at Zim's!" I called as she ran down the hall. She waved a hand to show that she heard and hurried to her bus. "Ready to head to the house Zim?" I asked, He zipped his backpack shut and stood, slinging it over his shoulder. I headed out the door, knowing he'd follow, and found my way to the front door of the school. We walked in silence to his house, and he unlocked the front door.

No robot parents greeted us, and there was no huge mess to show a sign of Gir. It seemed almost lonely without all the noise and chaos. We ventured into the kitchen, Zim punching keys on a pad to open a passage to the lab. I smiled and stepped inside with him, whistling softly as we sped down to the lab.

"Still working on that side project?" I asked when we stepped out. His feet tangled and he nearly fell.

"Y-yeah...almost done though." He replied, heading once more into the tiny side room. I sighed and shook my head, heading to the part of the lab I was rebuilding. Picking up the welding torch, I slipped on the mask, lit the flame, and continued my job.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"I'm done." Zim's quiet voice was barely able to be heard, but I shut off the welder and lifted the mask.

"Great timing. So am I." I pulled the mask off and climbed down the ladder. I set the welder aside and turned to him. "Are you gonna tell me what you've been working on in there?" I asked. He knotted his fingers.

"Two things actually. First off..." He grimaced a little and pressed a button on his "wristwatch". A small beep sounded in the other room before a small, _very_ familiar robot came walking out. "I rebuilt Gir...kind of. I didn't find all of his memory chip, so I used what I had and spliced it with a new one." The small robot waved. "He's Gir, but with none of the memories of the old Gir." He laid a hand on the bot's head. "And secondly..." A long pause drew out. "I've been talking with Sam lately. A lot. And your sister. They're kinda..." He linked his fingers. "Together. But they were really helpful with my...problem." He was acting very odd. He was talking very quietly and had a lot of pauses in his speech.

"If you're going to tell me what's wrong, just spit it out." I snapped, a little harsher than I had planned.

"I'm expecting a brood any day now." He replied, shutting his eyes tight. Disbelief flooded my body. I laughed, a harsh, fake sound.

"What, like in the mail? UPS running late?" I laughed again, this one sounding even faker than the last.

"No, Dib. Not in the mail. I'm what you humans would call 'pregnant'." The air quotes he added were unnecessary. "That's why I rebuilt Gir, but bigger." And only now did I realize the bot was bigger. He reached about five feet in height now. "I need a bodyguard, in case you don't want to...you know, stay and be the other parent." His voice was so quiet I almost missed it. The shock hit me then. I sat down, hard, on the metal floor. I cradled my head in my hands and chuckled under my breath.

"Let me guess: they're mine." Such an answer would be fitting.

"No, sorry." He half-smiled. "When Irkens reach maturity, we go into what would be equivalent to heat. I was on a date with someone and...now I'm expecting." He finished lamely. I rubbed my eyes.

"When did you say you were due?" I replaced my glasses and looked up at him.

"Within the next three days." His cheeks flushed dark red. "I'll need your help when they're going to get here." My mind placed in the reason why.

"And how exactly does it work back on your home planet?" I asked, half dreading the answer.

"Well, both sexes go into heat." He sat down next to me. "And when two Irkens decide to mate, they go at it like Earth rabbits until the female is pregnant."

"Then how did you end up the girl?" Again, he flushed a deep red. I found that I quite enjoyed the color on his skin.

"I show very little interest in girls..." He replied, his voice barely able to be heard. I smiled.

"Alright. One more question." I told him.

"Egg laying." He replied before I could ask. His face was redder than a tomato. "Which is why I'll need your help. I've got a room ready for the..."dissection"...and an incubator as well." I nodded my head.

"Okay. Any idea on the number?" He shook his head. "Good deal. Looks like I'll be stuck here for a few more days then." He said nothing, so I quietly slipped my hand into his. He gave it a squeeze and smiled gently.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"Ten eggs, Zim. I'm gonna start sewing it up now." The green skinned boy nodded in his drug induced state, his eyes shut. I laid a clean towel over the small, purple colored eggs and placed them under the side table in the dark. Once done with that, I picked up the needle to sew the boy shut and let him heal.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"So how long will it be before they...hatch?" I hoped I used the right word for them. He smiled softly at the small spherical objects.

"Approximately a month left." He turned to me.

"It's been four already." I almost whined. He chuckled.

"They take a long time to reach semi-maturity." He replied, shrugging one shoulder.

"How's the wound?" I joked, smiling. He smiled back and pulled up his shirt. "Looking good. Stitches came out cleanly, healing nicely." I ran a finger over the inch deep dip that ran across his stomach. He jerked away and tugged his shirt down.

"I'm still ticklish you know." I smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I know. I'll never forget." I slipped my hand into his again and we stood there for a while longer, staring at the eggs.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"We've lost two more Dib..." He curled into my side and sniffled.

"It'll be alright, Zim. Five is plenty of kids." I wrapped my arms around him and held him tight.

"Irkens normally have twenty in a first clutch...we have barely any left." He curled even closer, shutting his eyes.

"I wouldn't know what to do with twenty kids. Five is plenty." I leaned back in the curved chair and started humming.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"Zim...why don't you have a seat." I guided him to the closest chair and sat him down. "Look me in the eye, Zim." I took his hands. "We've lost the last egg." I saw the heartbreak in his eyes. His bit his lip, not saying a word. "Zim? Speak to me, Zim." He shook his head, looking away from me. "Gir. Stats, now."

"Heat rate has dropped, breathing is elevated. Master Zim is going into schock, Master Dib." I picked the alien up and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Zim, it'll be alright." I picked up a blanket from the bed and wrapped him in it. "We don't need kids to be closer to each other." I held him like a small child and started to rock and hum, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"I...I think I'm ready to try again, Dib." His soft voice woke me in a moment. It was the first time in weeks he didn't wake me because of a nightmare.

"Try what again?" I asked, sleepily. He sat up on his elbow, looking me in the eye.

"Try having eggs again. I...I kind of didn't want the first ones anyways..." He laid his head on my bare chest and I wrapped my arm tighter around him.

"Why not?" I asked softly.

"The father of the eggs was Keef." His voice was barely even a whisper. I wrapped my other arm around him and held him tight, nuzzling my nose into his soft orange hair. He looked up at me and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. This one was different than all the others we'd shared.

He pulled away and peeled off the oversized shirt he wore for bed before kissing me again. I growled softly in the back of my throat and pulled him closer, kissing him back. As much as I wanted this, I was careful. I had been waiting for my chance; I didn't want to scare him off now.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"Any day now, huh?" My hand covered his to rub his bulging stomach. "Your stomach is bigger this time." He lightly swatted me on the arm.

"The size of the eggs depends on the father. You're healthy and virile, so the eggs are huge." He smiled and pressed a kiss to the underside of my chin. "And you need to shave." I smirked and ran a hand over the stubble.

"You know you like how it feels on your-" I started.

"Hey, now. Not in front of the kids." He patted his stomach once more to emphasize his point. "Have you had a chance to talk with Sam and Gaz yet?"

"Yeah, actually. They're really happy together." I laid my head on his shoulder. "And they'd like to adopt one." I whispered. He whipped his head around to gape at me. I smiled. "They do. They want a little boy. They have a room ready and a name and everything." Tears flooded his eyes and he laid his forehead against mine.

"I couldn't be any happier if I lived for a thousand years." I smiled and we sat there in silence, no words necessary for our complete and utter joy.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"Hey Sam. Hey Gaz. So how's little Fluxxe doing?" Zim asked our guests. They set down the little boy and he ran off to play with his sisters in the other room.

"He's doing fine. He's having some trouble getting used to Samhain, our new dog, but other than that he's an absolute angel." Gaz replied. I stayed quiet. She was so happy with her better half.

"Does he sleep through the night?" Zim asked. Little Xina sat in his lap, smiling and playing patty cake with Sam.

"Like a rock." Sam replied. "Big dinner, hot bath, and he's out like a nova." She smiled at Xina and the girl giggled.

"How are the contacts working for him?" I asked. Gaz glanced at me. I froze, afraid that I'd made her mad.

"They work fine. Thanks for making them for him." She replied, smiling. I breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"You're very welcome. I'm glad he likes them. I prefer his normal eyes though. They look even better." Sam shook her head.

"People stare. He doesn't like it." She tickled Xina before getting up to chase her into the living room.

"Who cares if people stare? His eyes are gorgeous as they are." Zim spoke, anger lacing in. Fluxxe came running in as his first mom spoke.

"Mommy one, can I have some juice?" Zim smiled before ruffling his black hair.

"Of course. Daddy one will get you some." He ran to my side and started pulling on my hand.

"Come _on_ daddy one! I'm thirsty!" I grinned and stood, towering over the small child. I followed him into the kitchen and got a plastic cup for him.

"What kind of juice do you want?" I opened the fridge and pulled out three different flavors. "We have grape. Apple. And..." I stared at the label on the last one. "Tropical punch." He pointed to the red juice.

"That one!" I smiled and poured him a glass. After I gave it to him, I put away the other ones and crouched down to look him in his normal looking gray eyes.

"Mommy two says you don't like what your eyes look like when you're not wearing your contacts." He bowed his head, hiding behind his fringe of blond colored hair. "Can I ask why?"

"People stare at me like I'm not normal..." I wrapped him in a hug before chuckling.

"Do you want to know what daddy two used to look like before she met mommy two?" He nodded his head eagerly. I dug in my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. Digging in that, I pulled out a photo of Gaz when she was younger, in her rebellious age. "She had so many piercings and tattoos that people would stare at her even if she was friends with them." He took the photo and stared at it. "See? You're doing it too." He reddened and gave back the photo.

"But my eyes don't match, daddy one." Inhaling softly, I reached up and cupped his face in one hand.

"Mommy one has _two_ red eyes like yours and he is happy to have them." I hugged him once more. "It's not normal. I won't fib about that. But it's also what makes you one of a kind." He bowed his head in thought, and I wondered how a four year old was so smart. He reached up and pulled out first one contact, then the other. He then looked back up at me. One neon blue human eye mismatched an Irken red one.

"I liked my eyes like this anyways, daddy one." He grinned a secretive grin and hugged me tight before running back into the other room with his juice. I would hear his voice as I followed. "Here, daddy two. I wanna throw these away." I ducked in just in time to see Gaz accept his contacts. She looked up at me and I shrugged. Once he made sure they were safe, he ran into the living room to play with the rest of his family some more. I walked over to Zim's side and sat down. Gaz never took her eyes off of me. It was starting to unnerve me.

"Thanks for talking to him..." She spoke softly, then stood an walked to my side. I scooted away what little bit I could. She was starting to scare me. She smiled and wrapped me in a tight hug. Shocked, I didn't know how to react. After a few seconds, I tentatively hugged her back.

"You're welcome." I replied. A soft 'click' made me look to the doorway. "Sam!" I cried, releasing my sister.

"Aw, come on daddy one. You should know a photographer is never without her camera." She held up the six digit cost camera for emphasis.

"And you have Zim to thank for getting you that job." She smiled and nodded at my reply.

"If not for him letting me get some awesome nature shots out here, I'd probably still be looking for a job." She walked over and lightly hugged him. A series of shrieks warned me the kids were coming. I stepped out of the way as they all piled on to Zim, Gaz and Sam.

"Daddy, come join in!" Suz called. I smiled and walked over. Seven children were all piled into the rocking chair with Zim. I leaned over and wrapped them all in a hug, as best as I could.

"You guys are amazing parents." Gaz said. Sam smiled and took a photo of us all.

"Alright. Now one with all of us." Sam said, setting the camera up on the table and pressing a button to set a timer. She then ran over to join in, pulling Gaz with her. We all piled in tight, smiling into the camera.

"CHEESE!" We all called as the camera flashed.


	4. Fluxxe, the Strongest

Fluxxe, the Strongest

"Ms. Magin, thank you for coming up here today." The teacher held out her hand and I shook it.

"May I ask what my son has done this time?" I questioned. The person in question sat next to me, his head hanging low to hide behind his black hair.

"He got into a fight with another student, ma'am." She got right to the point. I sat down next to my son. "Mr. Adams, as a matter of fact. We entered the lunch room to see your son basically beating up Mr. Adams." I turned to him.

"Fluxxe, honest version?" He glanced at me from behind his hair. "And take out your contacts to do so, please." His eyes widened a small amount and he sat up straight before removing first one, then the other contact. He handed them to me and I put them in a small container for safe-keeping. He then looked Ms. Jones in the eye.

"He was picking on my sister, Bastett." He spoke. She stared at his mismatched eyes, not saying a word. I leaned forward.

"Ms. Jones? Did you hear him?" She jerked her head, then nodded.

"That's what he told us, and Ms. Bastett agreed. But Mr. Adams said he was minding his own business when your son attacked him. We have more witnesses agreeing with Mr. Adams' story then with Mr. Membrane's." Fluxxe didn't take his eyes off of her.

"Ms. Jones, may I?" She turned back to him. "Gaz, the woman sitting in front of you, is not my birth mother. The husband of her brother, husband to famed multi-trillionaire Dib Membrane? Yeah. He's my birth mom." Ms. Jones stared incredulously at him, then started braying with laughter.

"Mr. Magin, we do not tolerate lies in this school. Mr. Membrane is an only child." I felt my eye twitch and I covered it with one hand.

"May I make a phone call, Ms. Jones?" I asked politely. She gestured to the phone on her desk. I picked up the headset and dialed a number. "Would you please put it on speaker phone?" She pressed a button and we all listened as the phone rang.

"Membrane Mechanics, how may I direct this call?" A woman picked up, sounding very bored. I spoke, staring directly at Ms. Jones while I did.

"This is Gaz calling for Mr. Membrane himself. May I be put through?" I was very polite.

"Right away Ms. Magin. One moment please." The woman's voice picked up immediately, then a quick few notes of hold music, and my brother picked up.

"Hey Gaz, need something?" His voice sounded more deep than when he had been younger, and I remembered just how much he had grown up.

"Just proving a point. Fluxxe is Zim's son, right? By birth and not adoption?" I asked. Ms. Jones still looked to be in shock that I knew Dib.

"Gaz, Sam must've made you watch the video of the C-section at least fourteen times. Why do you need to ask me?" He shuffled some papers around on his desk and I reminded myself he was at work.

"Just asking to prove a point. I'll see you tomorrow night for dinner? Sam's making enchiladas." He chuckled.

"Of course. We'll bring the girls. Love you sis." He clicked the phone off and I hung up on our end as well. I then turned to Ms. Jones once more.

"Point proven. Now then. Fluxxe, honest version of what happened. Now." He sat straight once more and Ms. Jones turned to him.

"Bastett was reading a book at her lunch seat. She had already finished her food and put up her tray. Ryan walked over with his cronies and started picking on her simply because she is making a better grade then them in science, even though she's a freshman and they're all seniors. I overheard them and walked over to see what was going on and was just in time to see Ryan smack the book out of Bastett's hands. She is a very patient girl and said nothing. I headed over to help her out and he shoved me. I did nothing. Said not even a word. He then got louder, more brash, trying to get me to fight him. Again, I remained calm and stayed still. The threats continued. When he called Bastett a "cock fucking whore", well, that's where I drew the line." Ms. Jones stayed silent during all of this, listening intently.

"I warned him not to speak ill of my siblings. He then turned his attention back to me to say, and I quote, "You're mom should've sucked my dick better last night". I do not like when people speak ill of my kin. So I taught him a lesson about being polite." He finished. "If you ask him about my family now, or anyone's actually, he'll be very polite." Ms. Jones sat back up in her seat, clearing her throat.

"Well, Mr. Magin, I'll believe you. Just this once." She held up a finger. "Mr. Adams will receive two weeks suspension. You will receive two weeks detention. Alright?" She shuffled some papers around and started writing out some forms. "You may go now, Mr. Magin. Your mother may escort you home." We both stood and exited.

"No more, understand? I don't want you getting in trouble. Zim taught all of you how to fight. Bastett can handle herself." I scolded him. Even though he stood nearly a foot taller than me, he hung his head.

"I understand mom." He mumbled. I dug in my pocket and pulled out his lens case.

"Here. If you wish to no longer wear them, give them to Dib." He accepted the case and we walked down a hallway of classrooms to find our way to the front. A door opened and a very muscular student stepped out.

"Aw, look, little Fucks is with his mommy." He crooned, then laughed. The door shut behind him.

"Back off, Ryan. I already kicked your ass once. Don't make me do it again." Fluxxe's body tensed, his hands forming fists. I stepped forward, closer to the jock.

"So you're the little asswipe who nearly got my son expelled for making fun of my niece." He look down at me, a small amount of shock registering.

"There's no way he's yours, lady. You're too short. Hell, you're barely big enough to reach my-" I sank two fingers deep into his stomach.

"I've had enough of listening to you talk about your genitalia. Now, apologize to my son for what you said to my niece." I spoke to his hunched over figure.

"Fuck you." He managed to spit out. I "tsk"ed at him before slamming my fist into a kidney. His silent wail told me I hit my mark.

"Apologize, before I make one of them explode." He rolled onto his opposite side and stared at me through the haze of pain. "Now."

"S-sorry Fluxxe. And to your cousin." He wheezed. I bowed my head.

"Thank you." I stepped over him and continued on my way to my car. Fluxxe followed, not saying a word.

BREAK BREAK BREAK

"Zim, can I talk to you?" I glanced over my shoulder at the door before shutting it.

"How may I help you Fluxxe?" He wiped his hands on the apron he wore and turned to me.

"Umm...I'm having some issues at school..." I rubbed the back of my head, wondering how to tell him. "Bastett was being picked on yesterday and I got two weeks detention for defending her. I think the guy knew we weren't...fully human." He crossed his arms and stared at me.

"Is it so bad that you aren't?" I shook my head. "Well, what might have given it away?" I thought about it for a minute.

"I think it was the Irken kung-fu." I chuckled. "And he's been watching us lately. Like how Dib used to watch you. I've caught him outside the house a couple times at odd hours of the morning." I didn't mention about Xina having issues at her school.

"Put up the security system I gave you." He replied. A small timer dinged, alerting him. "If you'll excuse me, I need to take out the enchiladas before they burn." He scooted past me and opened the oven door, grabbed two potholders, and slid out a tray of chicken and cheese enchiladas. "If you'd be willing to set the table, dinner is ready." I sidestepped the hot tray of food and grabbed the stack of plates and silverware.

"Right behind you." I told him, grabbing a spatula on the way. He bumped the swinging door open and set the food down in the middle of the table, taking off the oven mitt potholders as I set the table.

"Dinner!" Zim called, and a moment later everyone came in to take a seat. Once we all had been served, we started eating.

"So, Dib, did Fluxxe talk to you about his contacts?" Mom asked. He nodded.

"He did. I'm going to see about recycling them into contacts that anyone can wear to change eye color. Maybe release it to the military or something." He shrugged and took a bite.

"I heard him saying he was having trouble at school" Zim spoke up. I glanced at him and minutely shook my head.

"Oh, you mean the fight with Ryan? That's been taken care of." Bastett replied. "Aunt Gaz kicked his ass."

"Language at the table." Zim warned. She bowed her head, her cheeks flushing pink. "And no, it wasn't about a fight." I pushed the food around my plate, my appetite gone.

"May I be excused?" I asked. Sam glanced at my plate and nodded, gesturing to the living room. A couple of minutes later, Xina came in.

"Thanks for not spilling about me." She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck in a hug. I smiled. It was odd to think that we were only a few minutes apart, yet she looked more like a fourth grader.

"Are things any different?" I asked. She shook her head and sat next to me.

"It's not that bad, you know." She glanced up at me. "Look at my eyes." I looked her in the eyes. She stared into my mismatched eyes. "I've been through so much shit, pardon my French, because of my eyes. I only yesterday stopped wearing my contacts." I smiled at her. "If you wait for one moment?" She nodded. I sat stock still for a moment and concentrated. A moment later, antennae grew from my skull and my hands morphed to three fingered hands of an Irken. "I'm three-quarters Irken. You guys are only half. Not trying to be mean, but you guys have it easy."

She paused for a moment as well and her antennae appeared as well. A hump appeared under her shirt and she peeled it off to reveal Zim's old pack. "I'm just not used to people staring..." She wrapped her arms around her stuffed rabbit and brought her knees up to her chest.

"Hey, it'll be alright." I pulled her close and held her in my lap. "Kids at that age are always mean. Once you hit your growth spurt, I promise you can join me in high school." She sniffled and wiped her eyes, looking up at me.

"Promise?" She asked. I nodded, holding out one finger.

"Irken pinky promise." She giggled and took the finger with one of her own, and we both shook.

"Xina? Are you in here?" Mom called.

"We both are." I called back. She came walking in and sat down by us.

"Hi aunt Sam." Xina spoke, softly.

"Your mom says you're having trouble in school, from wearing your pack." Xina curled closer to me and nodded. "I came to tell you that it's not that bad." Mom put a hand on her arm.

"Fluxxe talked to me about it." She said. She was very shy. "I'm okay about it now. Promise." She looked up at mom and smiled. Both of her eyes flashed a quick Irken red, causing mom and me to giggle. Mom snorted and that set Xina off. A few seconds later, we were all rolling on the floor. In the doorway, Other Mom, Dib, Zim, and all my other sisters watched and smiled as well.


End file.
